Health Library

Hyperthyroidism

You have been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, which means you have an overactive thyroid gland that produces too much thyroid hormone. This hormone is important to body growth and metabolism. If you have too much thyroid hormone many body processes speed up or overreact, causing a variety of symptoms. Your doctor may recommend thyroid-lowering medicines, radiation or surgery to treat your condition.

Signs Of Hyperthyroidism (too much thyroid hormone, which can be a side effect of treatment for low thyroid):

Restlessness, nervousness, tremor

Increased appetite with weight loss

Excess sweating

Palpitations or irregular heartbeat

Feeling cold, or cold hands and/or feet

Signs Of Hypothyroidism (too little thyroid hormone):

Fatigue or sluggishness

Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly; forgetfulness

Dry skin, hair loss

Depression

Unexpected weight gain

Feeling overheated

Home Care:

Take your medicine exactly as directed at the same time every day.

Keep your pills in a container that is labeled with the days of the week. This will help you remember whether you’ve taken your medicine each day.

Never stop treatment on your own. If you do, your symptoms will return.

Follow Up

with your doctor or as advised by our staff. Your thyroid level will need to be monitored for the rest of your life. During your routine visits, tell your doctor about any symptoms such as the ones listed below.